Chinese Stories of Famous Sages. Illustrated Edition

Author: Xu Youwu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: It is said that in ancient times, the land of Huaxia had five emperors: the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, and Emperor Shun. Yao was the fourth of the five emperors and, as his state was named Tang, was also known as Tang Yao. Yao was skilled in governing the world. At the age of sixteen, he ascended the throne and resided in Pingyang (now Linfen, Shanxi). He had a broad heart and loved the people as his own children. After becoming a king, he lived in a thatched hut, ate wild vegetables and coarse grains, and wore rough hemp clothes. He dug wells and farmed for his own drinking water and food, living a very frugal life. Whenever the sun rose, he began to handle affairs of state, and only returned home to rest when the sun set. He appointed the brothers Xi and He to oversee the heavens and earth, dispatched Xizhong, Xishu, and Heshu to manage the four directions—east, south, west, and north—and established a calendar with 366 days a year, dividing it into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. He planted seeds in spring and harvested in autumn. Because he mastered the seasons well, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting all yielded abundant harvests. Yao showed compassion for the people and often visited local areas to inspect affairs. He told the people, "In the land I govern, if anyone has no food to eat, it is I who have made them starve; if anyone has no clothes to wear, it is I who have made them cold; if anyone commits a crime, it is my poor governance that forced them to do so." He encouraged the people to openly point out his faults and had a large drum made, called the "Drum of Encouraging Advice," to encourage the people to strike it and criticize his governance, pointing out any wrongdoings. Wherever Yao went, he talked with the people there and erected a wooden pillar, called the "Pillar of Criticism." The people could stand under it and freely criticize him and point out his faults. Yao was open-minded and did not hold grudges, earning the deep love of the people. Yao had nine sons, but his eldest son, Danzhu, was incompetent. At that time, floods were rampant, and the waters flooded farmland and villages. Danzhu, however, was sitting in a boat admiring the scenery. Even after the floodwaters receded, Danzhu remained in his boat, mocking others. His brothers often fought among themselves, constantly quarreling. Yao ruled for seventy years. When he was eighty-six, he felt that he was old and frail and wanted to find a worthy successor. He knew that his eldest son, Danzhu, was incapable of governing the country, and the other sons were no better, so he left Pingyang to privately seek a wise person. One day, Yao came to the Lishan area and saw an old farmer holding a piece of wood called "rang." He placed one piece on the ground and struck the other downward, singing as he did: "The sun has risen, and I go out to farm; the sun has set, and I return home to rest. I dug a well, and now I have water to drink; I planted fields, and I have no worry of hunger. The authority of the emperor is great, but what does it have to do with me?" This was a song passed down by the local people, called the "Song of Striking the Rang." The song was rough yet loud, expressing the people's inner feelings about their comfortable lives. Yao felt greatly comforted upon hearing it. He squatted down and talked with the old man, asking if there were any great sages in the village. The old man pointed with his hand toward the hillside. In front of the hill, a young farmer was plowing with two oxen, but he was not holding a whip in his hand, only a small basket, occasionally tapping it. Yao was puzzled: "This young man is strange—why is he tapping the basket while plowing?" He walked over and observed the young farmer for a moment, asking, "Young man, why do you tap the basket while plowing?" The young farmer smiled awkwardly and said, "The ox is an animal, and it has already worked hard for me to plow. If I drive it further with a whip, I really feel very uncomfortable. If the ox refuses to move, I tap the basket to scare it a little." Yao took his hand and praised repeatedly, "That makes sense! That makes sense!" Yao thought, "This young man loves the ox and is talented. If he becomes a king in the future, he will be a good leader and can be considered a worthy successor!" At this moment, several people gathered around. An old man holding a bundle of firewood looked at Yao and asked, "May I ask where you are from?" Yao said, "I am Yao, your king!" Hearing this, everyone was stunned and knelt down one after another. Yao went forward and helped them up, telling them about his journey to seek a worthy successor. The farmers surrounded the beloved King Yao, talking excitedly. It turned out that the young farmer who was plowing was named Yu Shun, a renowned sage in the Lishan area. He was knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, exceptionally talented, and even more admirable was his compassionate heart. Yao was overjoyed upon hearing this. He wanted to bring Yu Shun back to the capital to help him govern the country. Yu Shun repeatedly declined, but after settling his family affairs, he followed Yao to Pingyang. P1-3